“Of course!” Yin Guofu exclaimed as he smiled widely. Initially when he had known that such a person like Gu Xiqiao was around, he didn’t pay much care about her. As head of the Yin family, his sights were naturally set on a higher degree than most. Although they were not comparable to some families in the Imperial Capital, he was still a person standing at the top of a pyramid, and it was not an exaggeration to say that they were also quite powerful in their own right.
The generation below him had found a god-granddaughter for him, but it had to be an illegitimate daughter with a bad reputation. Although he wasn’t fully contented with it, he tried not to put too much thought into it after seeing the expression on Jiang Shuxuan’s face. The Yin family was big anyway, there was nothing wrong with adding one more person into it. That being said, somewhere deep within his heart, he still looked down on the illegitimate daughter from the Gu family.
When he had come down the stairs and his eyes landed on the girl, she had carried herself confidently—in a relaxed manner that didn’t lose out to other well-bred young ladies from powerful families. Even he couldn’t help but have slight fondness at this graceful and humble girl. Hearing that she had taken both the top spots made this feeling rise to the highest possible level. Being able to claim both spots was a great honor, and such talent was only produced in the country once a year, if there was.
After thinking for a long while, Yin Guofu brought out a stationery set with pen, ink, and paper that he cherished and presented it to her. This gesture was indirectly acknowledging that she was part of the Yin family.
Yin Shaoyuan and Tang Yanling’s hearts felt at ease for the moment at that. The gift was not the main point, but Grandpa Yin’s acknowledgment was the most important.
Coupled with the Lamborghini that Yin Shaoyuan had gifted her, Gu Xiqiao was receiving gifts left and right the entire night.
Yin Feifei clenched her fist tightly—a single drop of blood seeping out from underneath the fingernail that had dug deep into the hollow of her palm. Just a second ago, she was still proudly boasting about her results, and the next moment, Yin Shaoyuan had basically given her a slap in the face!
Wasn’t she just an illegitimate daughter from the countryside? How could she have gotten such brilliant education in some backwater place? To the extent that she even took the spot of being the national top ranker! Thinking back to during the day, when the entire class had been discussing this year’s top ranker and runner up. The top ranker that everyone had been admiring and respect was this person in front of her—the person who was loved by the Yin family. The disdain and acid in her heart were almost threatening to explode from within!
No matter how good a mask she had up, Yin Feifei was not able to hide her true nature. There had been no competition before, and she didn’t know what jealousy was like. With such a strong competitor right in front of her eyes, it was hard for her to remain calm for the moment. She had a stiff smile plastered on her face.
Tang Yanling glanced at Yin Feifei for a moment and the smile on her face faded slightly. With sharp eyes, she already knew what Yin Feifei was feeling inside. The purpose tonight was to make Gu Xiqiao happy by bringing a friend of the same age, but it seemed like she had made a mistake this time.
At this moment, Yin Feifei who was full of burning resentment in her eyes, caught sight of Tang Yanling’s eyes on her. Her face grew pale immediately. Shivers filled her body as her hands became ice cold—a chill running up her spine. Tang Yanling…she was giving up on her!
Everything she had in the family was due to her having Tang Yanling’s favor. If she lost this relationship, then she really would have nothing left.
She looked around blankly. She realized that no one was paying her any attention—even the maids were ignoring her existence. Yin Feifei suddenly realized it was over. She was done for!
“Tonight is to celebrate your college entrance examination result, and we have to immediately look for a good day to hold the ceremony. We must ensure that this relation is acknowledged on a large public scale.” It was a testament to how much power Yin Guofu held as no one else dared to object when he spoke.
“A ceremony… isn’t it a bit too formal?” Gu Xiqiao whispered to Jiang Shuxuan, “Isn’t it enough with a small acknowledgment?”
Jiang Shuxuan covered his mouth with a fist, stopping the smile that was threatening to stretch on his face. He knew that this girl had always been ignorant and not used to the more extravagant part of this lifestyle, wanting to avoid it if possible. However, he allowed her ignorance this time, knowing that the Gu family had probably neglected to hold a formal banquet for her before. He instead raised an eyebrow sternly. “Grandpa Yin is old, and he likes things to be lively, do you have the heart to deny him so?”
Gu Xiqiao: “…”
She knew it was a lost cause then.
Tang Yanling was persuading Gu Xiqiao to stay the night, and Jiang Shuxuan had initially wanted to refuse her good intentions. But seeing the warm smile on Gu Xiqiao’s face, he swallowed the words down. As long as she was happy, that was just fine.
‘The Yin family is really a force to be reckoned with,’ Jiang Shuxuan thought as he narrowed his eyes, but it was still somewhat gratifying.
Gu Xiqiao didn’t expect that Jiang Shuxuan would actually agree, and she looked at him with a mixture of gratitude and surprise. Jiang Shuxuan said nothing but gently rubbed the top of her head, his expression warm as he said, “Go on, go and see the room with Aunt.”
“That’s right, come along, I’ve been decorating it for a while!” Tang Yanling said as she looked towards Gu Xiqiao with an eager expression.
The room that was given to her was opposite Yin Shaoyuan’s room. The walls were painted in pale blue and decorated with furnitures of pink tones, though it was not overly blinding to the eye. The floor was covered in thick, fluffy carpet, and in the centre of the room was a white princess-style bed. The area beside the large windows that stretched from the floor to the ceilings were decorated with tatami and a small round table, giving it a neat and delicate look.
“I got someone to break the walls to the next room, which was just used to store miscellaneous things. Shaoyuan said you like to paint and read, so I made a small study for you,” Tang Yanling said, explaining the wall between the bedroom and the study that was separated by a large piece of glass.
There was a row of antique-style bookshelves in the study room, and the many rows were stacked neatly with books. There were also an easel, paints of all colors, and paper placed around the room.
There had been a time when she had been envious of Gu Xijin’s bedroom. Now, she had a more luxurious and spacious bedroom than her sister. Gu Xiqiao blinked her eyes rapidly, trying to hold back the sting that was threatening to spill forth.
Jiang Shuxuan was also surprised by the gesture. No matter whatever the reason the Yin family had done this, he wouldn’t forget this good intention.
Tonight, there were some people who slept well with wonderful dreams, and there were people who found sleep eluding them.
***
Two banners hung outside First City High, one was to celebrate the two students from their school having obtained the top spot and runner up at the province level, and the other was to celebrate the same two students for also taking the top spot and runner up at the national level.
This made the other schools green with envy, especially Qing City High.
In the previous years, the top rankers had always come from Qing City High. It was due to the fact that Qing City High was a school for aristocrats, and the teachers who taught there were outstanding. This time, the top student in their school also had grades that were great, and could be considered to be the top ranker if in certain places. However, with First City High producing two monsters, this overshadowed all other outstanding students that they had.
All of the major newspapers and other media platforms were competing to report this great news, and so by the second day, these two geniuses were already well known to the public.
When Gu Xiqiao came to First City High, she was immediately ushered towards the principal’s office. The principal looked at Gu Xiqiao. The more he looked, the more satisfied he felt. From the ‘painting thief’ incident, he had been keeping a close eye on Gu Xiqiao. In this moment, looking at this girl really gave him a great sense of satisfaction.
His gaze turned to Luo Wenlang then. First City High had initially thought they were lucky enough to be able to attract Luo Wenlang into their school, and they didn’t expect another black horse to emerge in the end.
It was such a surprise, an amazing surprise at the end!
The principal looked at them with a kind smile. “Do you both know which schools you want to enroll in? Or do you intend to go overseas? I have ways to help you too.”
“Thank you for your concern, principal. I’ve already decided which school I’ll be enrolling in,” Gu Xiqiao replied, turning down the principal’s kindness.
The principal waved his hand in understanding, already expecting Gu Xiqiao’s answer from the start. With such strong support behind her, why would this little girl need the small resources he had in hand? The words he had said were more for the benefit of Luo Wenlang, because he knew a little about his family situation, and would like to give him as much help as he could.
Luo Wenlang raised his head, revealing a polite expression on his face, but also unexpectedly turning down the principal’s generous offer. His answer was a surprise to the principal, which obviously showed on his face. He had initially thought that Luo Wenlang would accept his offer. After all, staying in China was not great for his future development, and that family was quite troublesome.
“Alright then, if you have any troubles in the future, feel free to come to me,” The principal said, recovering easily from his surprise. He shook hands cheerfully with the two of them before they left, his last words still mostly for Luo Wenlang’s benefit.